BLOG POST #4 - How can I plan for and assess music in my classroom?

Responding Statement

Assessment is an essential process of the teaching and learning experience. Assessment strategies vary depending on the planning and structure of a learning area. Three approaches to teaching music in the primary classroom could include:

• Music as a stand-alone subject

Music as a stand-alone subject can often be taught by a specialist Creative Arts teacher and planning must adhere to the 6-10% time allocation of all curriculum, covering all Creative Arts sub-topics in that 6-10%.

• Project-based Learning (PBL)

PBL explores real-world problems ignited through questions, particularly a driving question which encourages problem-solving. An example of a driving question could be, "How does music affect our memory?" 

• Integrating Music across the curriculum with other key learning areas (KLAs)

Integrating Music into other KLAs or the content of other KLAs into Music allows for connections to be made across student learning. For example, integrating Geography into Music. The focus of environment, culture, sustainability, and globalisation of the Geography content opens opportunities for students to explore; sounds in their environment, cultural music and how it represents communities, making and performing with sustainable instruments and how music brings the world together.

Figure 22: Integrating Music across the curriculum (QuaverMusic.com, 2019)

Learning tasks of Music can be assessed through:

• Formative Assessment

Formative assessment focuses on the monitoring of students learning, providing ongoing feedback during the learning process and identifying areas of improvement for both the learner and the teacher. In Music, formative assessment can occur through informal observation, in larger classes, the strategy of a part-check may be employed, for example, front row plays then back row play. Further, exit tickets and self and peer assessment guided by student rubrics can promote reflection of learning and help identify areas for improvement.

• Summative Assessment

Summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of a learning unit or topic against the achievement standards. In Music, summative assessment could look like; mini-performances or a video recording guided by a marking rubric, written work or an individual skills test.

Learning in Music

Uncovering more of the elements of music (ACARA, 2019) this week we explored the elements of Timbre and Texture.

Timbre is the quality of a sound, or the 'tone colour'. Timbre is applied when identifying specific instruments of a piece. The instrument families include:

Figure 23: Woodwind Family (Kyle, 2014)

Figure 24: Brass Family (Beth's Notes Inc., 2019)

Figure 25: String Family (The bird feed nyc, 2012)

Figure 26: Percussion Family (Beth's Notes Inc., 2019)

The percussion family can be further segmented as the instruments seen of the left-hand side of figure 26 are untuned percussion instruments, meaning they have no to very little variation in pitch.

Texture explores how layers of sound interact within a piece of music. Texture can be categories into three approaches:

• Monophonic: one melody
• Homophonic: same rhythm at 
• Polyphonic

Figure 27 explains and provides examples for each texture type.

Figure 27: Musical Texture (Nypaver, Schäfli, 2017)

Making in Music

This week's making in music activity explored planning an ensemble performance. Seeking to incorporate a variety of instruments for a differentiated learning experience, the Whacker Booms supported students working at the achievement standard as they focus on rythm and pitch collectively making up the melody. While the egg shaker supported students working below as they focus on keeping a steady beat and students working above as they perform the whole medoly on the xylophone, ukulele and by singing. Figure 28 provides a plan of the performance and figure 29 decipts what the performance could look like.

Figure 28: Ensemble Performance Plan

Figure 29: I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart

Due to the complex rhythm and melody of this song and the array of included instruments, this performance would be best suited to a stage 3 class. Unpacking the content descriptors:

• ACAMUM088 Explore dynamics and expression, using aural skills to identify and perform rhythm and pitch patterns
• ACAMUM089 Develop technical and expression skills in singing and playing instruments with understanding of rhythm, pitch and formin a range of pieces, including in music from the community

(ACARA, 2019)

On the other hand, this ensemble performance could be simplified to better support the learning of younger grades, for example, giving one Whacker Boom to each student or excluding the ukulele or xylophone parts.

Responding in Music

To respond in Music, this week we were to complete a self and peer assessment about our performance and another group's efforts. Figure 30 is an example of what a self and peer assessment could look like providing both teachers and students with a formative assessment tool to provide feedback and identify strengths and improvements within learning.

Figure 30: Self and Peer Assessment Sheet (Tasker, 2019)

References

ACARA. (2019). Retrieved from Australian Curriculum: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Beth's Notes Inc. . (2019). Brass Family. Retrieved from Beth's Notes Supporting and Inspiring Music Educators: https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2018/01/brass-family.html

Beth's Notes Inc. . (2019). Percussion Family. Retrieved from Beth's Notes Supporting and Inspiring Music Educators: https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2018/01/percussion-family.html

Kyle. (2014). Woodwind Family. Retrieved from Thinglink: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/593656753871126528

Nypaver, A., & Schäfli, E. (2017, February 17). Musical Texture (Definition of Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic, Heterophonic Textures). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teh22szdnRQ

QuaverMusic.com. (2019). Music-Based Learning. Retrieved from QuaverMusic.com: https://www.quavermusic.com/info/proven-pedagogy/music-based-learning/

Tasker, J. (2019). The Music Curriculum EDUC 24112 – Curriculum Studies: Creative Arts. Cooranbong, NSW, Australia: Avondale College of Higher Education.

The bird feed nyc. (2012, August 20). Musical Instrument Families. Retrieved from The bird feed nyc: http://thebirdfeednyc.com/2012/08/20/musical-instrument-families/